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yuzu-all-the-way · 1 year

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Aoi Honoo IV - Prologue (the introduction)

Disclaimer: Full translation of AH4's Prologue done via machine translation (ChatGPT, Google Translate, DeepL and several other obscure online dictionaries). This means: nuances may be lost, meanings may be vague/muddled, but the relevant information is present. (@/LiaRyFS)

In 2019-2020, Hanyu Yuzuru thought about various things and hesitated, but ultimately he strongly decided to jump the quad Axel. Looking back on that season, he said as follows.

“2019 was a year of constant battle for me, including the World Championships in Saitama in March. I had been practising the quad Axel for a while, but it didn't go well for a long time… Sometimes I could jump it when I practised with a harness, and I thought, 'If I could do more of this, I might be able to do it.' But I also got injured again while trying things out, and there were many things that happened that season.

It was a year in which I kept challenging myself, but it was also a year in which I felt a sense of defeat as if everything had been broken. It's like there's nothing I can do on my own power, and that's how it felt…

At the Torino Grand Prix Final, of course, I felt that even if I made a lot of effort, I couldn't win without the support of the people around me. I somehow felt at that time that there is a world where no matter how much effort you put in, you can't win without the moment when everyone's power comes together, like at the Olympics.

However, it was a bit different from the statement made at the 2022 Beijing Olympics that 'effort will not be rewarded'. At that time, I think my desire to 'just get better' was still strong, so I was expressing those kinds of thoughts. As the consecutive competitions went on, I lost the strength to say such things when I lost at the All Japan Championships. 2019 was a year in which I struggled, not wanting to just be someone who won two consecutive Olympic titles, or someone from the past.”

When the new year began, he tried to find his way out of that despair.

“Since 2020, I have tested myself and thought a lot about what figure skating really means. So with the desire to regain my confidence, I returned to skating to my programs, ‘Ballade No. 1 in G minor’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ballade No. 1’) and ‘SEIMEI’. Since I had not yet won first place in the Four Continents Championships, there was a similar feeling of joy to my first victory in the 2019 GP Skate Canada. (N/T: Winning Skate Canada and 4CC sparked similar feelings of joy) I was really happy to have won! I think it was a big deal that Nathan Chen didn't participate at that time, but still winning the Four Continents for the first time and being able to win all the competitions that I had left behind gave me a sense of achievement and I was enveloped in a great sense of accomplishment.

However, what was bothering me inside was still the quadruple Axel. Even if I skated 'Ballade No.1' more beautifully than before and improved technically, there was a sense of resignation that 'I can't get a score higher than 2015' or something like that. The competition was the one where I felt like I had finally let go of my doubts and decided to focus solely on attempting the quadruple Axel. In a sense, that season was when I was able to establish a clear path towards expressing myself through the program and the 4A.”

However, his feelings were complex towards the World Championships that were coming up next (N/T: WC2020)

“In retrospect, I feel like I wasn't as fully invested in preparing for the World Championships as I thought I was, although at the time I was putting in my best effort. Unfortunately, it was ultimately cancelled due to the impact of the coronavirus. Winning the Four Continents Championship was a very fulfilling achievement, and I don't think it's normal to experience burnout after winning Four Continents, but in a way, there was a sense of resignation and a lifting of the confusion in my heart, combined with the fact that I was going to compete against Nathan, so... to be honest, that World Championships wasn't a competition where I had to jump the quadruple Axel, and the quadruple Axel wasn't a jump I could do even after practising it for about two weeks.

Since the program with the quad Lutz, 'SEIMEI,' had a different composition, I aimed to stabilise that first, and also, I had already peaked a little since the Four Continents, so honestly, during that short period, I couldn't do much except to adjust to get back to my peak.

However, at that time, the fear of competing against Nathan had already disappeared. It's like, 'I don't mind losing anymore' (laughs). In a way, until the cancellation of the World Championships, I always thought that it would be enough for me to firmly express what I wanted to express and to firmly follow the path of figure skating that I believed in.

However, when the World Championships were actually cancelled, I cried a lot. I couldn't help but wonder, ‘What was I working so hard for?’ And when it was actually cancelled, I realised that I hated going into competitions with the mind-set of 'losing'.”

From there, the spread of the novel coronavirus increased and the situation became such that people were unable to move around freely.

“In the end, that was the end of the 2019-2020 season, and after that, the spread of the coronavirus began, but I didn't have much hope. I was devastated at the 2019 GP Final and All-Japan, and had given up after ‘Ballade No. 1’ at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. From that time on, I didn't have much hope while practising. Rather, the only goal was ‘to jump the quadruple Axel!’

Even if my skating skills and other things improve, it doesn’t mean that the program components score will grow any further. Even if I perfected the expression through music, even if I matched the sound of the jumps to the sound of the music. Even if I did jumps with more variations from difficult steps, the GOE will not improve significantly. Rather, because of that, the speed would be slower and the height of the jumps lower, so some judges give 0 or +1 GOE.

In that sense, I felt like ‘I don't really care about those things anymore’ and decided to be true to myself. Although it may sound like an excuse, rather than trying to do something while decorating myself as 'Yuzuru Hanyu', I think I started practising with the feeling of facing my own core and jumping the quadruple Axel, thinking ‘I'm going to finish this’. So, when I came back to Japan, I started training with that mind-set.

To be honest, there were times when I felt really hopeless, and when the World Championships were cancelled, I cried with relief thinking, ‘I'm glad I don't have to go to a losing match’. In reality, I hadn't been able to push myself to the limit and I wasn't able to perform as well as I wanted to.”

Challenging himself alone in Japan after returning home was even more difficult than he had imagined. Later, Hanyu talked about that time.

“In those days, I felt like I spent a lot of time having a dialogue with myself and facing skating. The desire to successfully perform a quad axel was always at the core of my being. After the Pyeongchang Olympics, I had absolutely no motivation, so if I didn't have the quad Axel, I think I would have definitely quit, and I would have thought about retiring earlier. But thanks to that, I think I now have a reason to live pursuing my dreams, and that is the centre of my current life. I think that hasn't changed from those days to now.

However, at that time, there were challenges in pursuing the quad Axel jump. There were times when the gears didn't quite mesh due to factors such as not having a coach to guide me, changes in practice environment, and issues with body care that I had to decide on my own. At that time, I had a feeling that not only my 4A but also the level of what I was doing was gradually decreasing. I had a feeling like, 'Why am I even doing figure skating?'...It was like a sense of loss. It's like my own abilities were diminishing, or like my skating wasn't my own anymore. I felt a strong sense of sadness, like seeing my ideals getting further and further away from me. When I perform in ice shows or when I have my coach watch me skate, I receive feedback like 'this was good' or 'let's try this a little differently' but when I set such a high goal for myself like attempting the quad Axel alone, I have to spend every day unable to achieve it. I was doing it without any self-affirmation in the midst of that.”

In addition, he completed his graduation thesis for the correspondence course of the Waseda University Faculty of Human Sciences at the end of July, but the burden of collecting data for it was also significant.

“That required a lot of energy. What was published in academic journals was really just a small part, and we actually collected much more data and did various things. It took time to collect that data and required a lot of mental effort as well. At that time, various things coincided. My foot hurt from practising the quadruple Axel, and I had to rest from practice. When I returned to practice, I couldn't jump at all... Everything was already leaning in a negative direction.”

The cancellation of the ice show that used to be held every year, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, was also a loss for Hanyu, who had always continued to challenge himself with a forward-looking attitude.

“To be honest, there was a time when I didn't understand why I loved skating. If we really, really go back to the origin, it was something like an extraordinary feeling. The sensation on the ice is completely different from the sensation of living on the ground, isn't it? Because it's such a difficult thing, I think there was a sense of joy when I was able to do it. And then, skating alone on that wide rink and everyone watching only me. If my performance was good, I would receive tremendous cheers, but if it was bad, I would only get mediocre feedback.

I think that sensation of being watched, of being seen, is something that I really liked. But as I continued skating for a long time, that feeling gradually faded away, or became commonplace. In addition to that, there was also a lot of pressure to meet everyone's expectations, and it became not just fun, but also nerve-wracking, worrying about what would happen if I failed, and so on. It was because of the accumulation of those things, and the increasing burden that came with it, that it stopped being enjoyable, or rather, there was no time to think about enjoying it anymore.

I feel a lot of pressure to 'perform well’ even at ice shows, so I practise a lot for that purpose. So, I think that's why, during the off-season when I wasn't in front of everyone, I started to feel even more like 'why did I love skating again?'”

In the midst of feeling cornered, he had to think and make various decisions on his own. And he had to keep challenging himself with the high hurdle of the quadruple Axel.

“There were times when things didn't go well, and that's why at that time, my mind and my head were in a mess and I felt like I couldn't do anything. Normally, if I played a game or something, it would refresh me and I would think ‘Alright, let's do our best next time,’ but at that time, there was nothing I could do.

Experiencing the pain of practising alone to the point of hating it, Hanyu decided to withdraw from the Grand Prix series during that period. The Grand Prix series of this year was held in a modified format due to travel restrictions between countries. Each skater was allowed to participate in only one event, and the conditions for participation included skaters, judges, and officials from the host country, as well as skaters who regularly practised in the host country. In addition, only skaters from other countries who were invited based on their geographical location were able to participate.

Afterwards, the second event Skate Canada and the fourth event in France were cancelled, and only the first event Skate America, the third event in China, the fifth event in Russia, and the sixth event NHK Trophy were held. The Final was also announced to be cancelled.

In August, Hanyu took into consideration that "many people would have to travel due to my participation".

He announced his withdrawal, saying, "If I refrain from going and make efforts to prevent the spread of infection, I believe it can be one of the activities to prevent the spread of infection." For Hanyu, who has used going to competitions as a way to stimulate his emotions and as a source of energy for his evolution, it was a difficult decision.

#yuzuru hanyu #aoi honoo iv #aoi honoo iv translation #machine translation #aoi hono

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gogogogolev · 1 year

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Men’s FS results and Stephen’s protocol from 2023 World Team Trophy. He finished in 11th place with a score of 125.17, picking up 2 points for Team Canada who finished 6th overall with a total of 68 points. They pick up prize money totalling $130000 (with a cut taken by the federation).

Stephen’s total score, if that were a thing for this event, would have him under 200 points, a total of 174.95. He has only been under 200 internationally twice before (2018 JPG Canada and 2020 Junior Worlds where he broke his boot). There were his lowest scores of the season, his lowest since he left novice. These were some unbelievably low scores.

Something is seriously going wrong and Stephen needs to resolve this slump he’s in. I want him to take an analytical approach if that helps him deal with things better. Break the situation down into parts and see what is not working, how it can be resolved, the timeline of resolution, and checks to see if goals are being met. He needs to give himself some time to troubleshoot as well. This season’s approach of just doing the same thing over and over and hoping something changes for the better is obviously not working. I.e. It was disappointing to see him going back to a two quad short program layout when he knows he is not hitting those quads. He needs to be honest with himself so he can have reasonable skates.

There were good things about this free skate as well. He managed to land each of a 4T, 4S, and a beautiful 3A. His levelled elements were all level 3 and up. He made a gutsy move to attempt a sequence off of the 3F. I cannot recall seeing that kind of a sequence from him previously. He also tacked on the 2T to the 3Lo, but he was still short a combo. His PCS were in the gutter. :/

Thanks to the Canadian team for their support. They were all so kind to him. Someone even patted his shoulder after the FS. He was able to smile in spite of his performances thanks to them.

What’s next?

-GP assignments: supposed to be in late June but will potentially be delayed by the possible return of banned athletes -A summer event: Stephen needs to do a full event in the summer. Ideally he would come to Canada early and skate here as Kaetlyn Osmond or Keegan would do, but he favours Glacier Falls Summer Classic which is July 27-30. -A Challenger Series event - ACI, Nebelhorn Trophy, Nepela Memorial, and Finlandia are events before the GP where Canadian skaters get assigned. He should really be doing two since he is clearly in need of mileage but he has to start with one. ACI is likely to be yet another skate off. -Canada is hosting Worlds next season, and we have two spots for men. If he can get it together maybe he can claim a spot.

I want Stephen to know that while his fans are clamouring for a coaching change we still very much believe in him. If we didn’t we wouldn’t care how well or poorly he does. I will choose to remember him as I last saw him - brilliantly skating his FS in Oshawa at Nationals. That is the real Stephen Gogolev, and the one I hope to see again next season and for many years afterwards. I believe he can overcome whatever it is that is holding him back and he will reemerge as a top skater once more. So don’t give up. Show us the fight you’ve got.

Thank you for hanging in there this season Stephen. I wish you the best for the off season.

#stephen gogolev #WTT23 #2022 2023 season #protocols

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sunskate · 1 year

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I would love to hear your opinion on Charlie's teams and how you think they'll do going forward. He's already got huge fed support so things look promising.

There's a podcast where Charlie talks about being a big believer in higher education, and there have been hints that MIDA's curriculum is a little different - they've had classes in History of Figure Skating and nutrition. His students have said he takes time to talk to them about philosophy and skating and making sure that what they do to achieve what they want is sustainable. MIDA has 4 teams competing internationally this season so far. The 3 teams besides W/C switched from WISA in Maryland/Virginia where Greg Zuerlein coached for a time before he went back to Michigan:

Katerina Wolfkostin/Jeffrey Chen: 17/20 yo They've been skating together since 2019 and were 2021 US Jr Champions. She was US intermediate and novice champ with her previous partner, went to a JGP with him, then split and teamed with Jeffrey. Jeffrey had several different partners, including Layla Karnes, who's been training solo at IAM.O. His older sister is Karen Chen. He moved to Novi to team with Katerina and train with Igor. They competed at senior US Nats earlier this year and came in 6th, were 4th at Junior Worlds, then moved to MIDA They skate with attack and good unison. For a dance team, they've fallen or make major errors a LOT, but they're young and have a lot of potential and good basics. They were favored at Jr Worlds last season but fell in the RD and came back from 11th all the way to 4th. The way they throw themselves into programs with high energy (which sometimes tips over into loss of control) is a bit like younger Charlie himself. I really like their FD even if it wasn't quite cooked in their first 2 competitions- they fixed some of the timing issues by Budapest Trophy, where they won bronze. But then had a big issue with their rotational lift at GP France, so developing consistency has to be a major focus for them

Molly Cesanek/Yehor Yehorov: 21/23 yo Yehor is from Ukraine and represented them on the JGP circuit with 2 previous partners from 2014-17. He then teamed with Molly in 2018 and was released by Ukraine to compete internationally for the US in 2019. Molly is from Virginia, competed in the US with 3 partners before teaming with Yehor. They trained in Maryland and Virginia with Alexei Kiliakov and Elena Novak before moving to MIDA earlier this year. They were 4th at US Jr Nats in 2020 and 10th at senior US Nats this year. This season so far they've placed 10th at Nebelhorn, 9th at Skate Canada, and 5th at Ice Challenge. There's no question they feel the music, but they needed guidance refining their presentation - their facial expressions and arms were ott and distracting from the big picture. Choreo that had him doing the Worm didn't help. His flexibility isn't great, especially his back, so there can be a lack of suppleness in their movement Good news is, MIDA seems to be reining in some of the emoting, or giving them programs that are as dramatic. Their new FD has big, sweeping music, and they look a little sharper already. Their packaging is sleeker, and i like these programs a lot better than their previous material, especially the FD. Molly had emergency surgery for appendicitis in July so had to delay the start of their season, but the coaching change looks promising for them

#figure skating #MIDA #charlie white #wolfkostin chen #cesanek yehorov #bratti somerville and gr/p next #sorry it took a while

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saucylittlesmile · 2 years

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Well this year the two senior dance teams Canada is sending to Worlds are half-imported pairings, for example. It imported L/LG why, exactly? They would've been the top French team now, free ride to everything, basically, but now they're stuck in ~5th and keep falling at competitions, leaving no room for younger teams to get assignments and rise. Not to mention that multiple junior and novice pair teams have quit mostly because of the Vanessa and Eric fiasco. It's extremely short-sighted.

Thanks for answering- my inquiry was genuine. I suppose that I wasn’t thinking so much about pairs/ice dance because I’m used to the country-shuffle that is so common in those disciplines; I was thinking more about singles.

But as an alternate point of view - did Skate Canada actively import any of them? F-B/S switched because she couldn’t get citizenship, but she is Canadian and they train year-round in Canada (which was part if the reason she couldn’t get citizenship), and they started the process shortly after PyeongChang (by which I mean that they weren’t taking someone’s spot at the last minute; they’ve been skating for Canada for several seasons now). Piper has been a Canadian citizen since 2013 (or early 2014), so no matter how much I’ve complained about G/P I can’t say that they haven’t put in their time as Canadians, and in an era in which there were too many good teams and not enough spots even when they had three.

I was surprised when L/LG switched to Canada, though again she is Canadian, and as a team have trained in Canada for their partnership. While I agree that the field was stronger in Canada, there may have been other difficulties in their situation with the French Federation - I’m not sure if they ever said why they switched? They changed in 2020, which was just about the worst possible timing, lol - or maybe that had something to do with it as well - teams training out of their home countries had a very difficult time. But with all due respect to other teams competing for spots, as a sport, they would need to step up - I was very sorry to see S/W drop to sixth in 2022, for example, as they had one of my favourite FDs; but they finished behind L/LG there, and at 4CC, so it is on S/W to bring that next step up, and same with S/ and now also Fabbri/Ayer, as they all challenge for that middle ground. Even if I am perhaps not faithful in the judging these days, neither can teams just ‘expect’ to have a a higher finish just because they have been around longer.

As much as I hate to even sound like I am defending J/R, pairs has not ever been a super-stable discipline for almost any country - it is always the smallest field and, IMO, pretty much the most difficult discipline. Canada was very lucky to have a three/four team deep group for a while. Again, with the pandemic, it’s hard to say which skaters might have stayed if there hadn’t been one, as the disrupted training and lack of competition opportunities (also a failing of SC in providing even some more video comps alternatives) made for very difficult circumstances. I was hard on the J/R pairing for several reasons, including the brevity of the pairing and the excessive support of SC, but I never assumed that SC had orchestrated the partnership.

Which I guess is somewhat my point - while SC obviously accepts skaters who want to skate for them, I have yet to hear of them… recruiting, I guess is the word I’ll use. They don’t seek them out, or import them to fill out their ranks, but don’t deny them the chance to prove themselves (or in the case of JR, once available, prop them up into position). SC absolutely neglected their younger/lower ranked skaters in the lead up to PyeongChang and then failed them in the pandemic, but I think that they’re still mostly sticking with homegrown skaters (and finally finding some extra oomph for those younger skaters).

*** The other interesting facet is seeing the fallout from the retirement and the lack of Russians, in the GP assignments - Canada is represented in pairs at every competition, and in ice dance, teams that woukd have been lucky to have the host pick are travelling to another competition instead. In that way, while teams like G/P that are sticking around and are benefiting from a wide open field, there are still opportunities abound for teams which may have otherwise been left out.

#ask #and very rambly answer

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sywtwfs · 3 years

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2021 Virtual Skate Canada Challenge: Info & Streaming

The 2021 Skate Canada Challenge is a virtual competition and the final qualifying event for the 2021 Canadian National Championships in February. Skaters’ performances are pre-recorded. The compiled videos will be judged in real time over two weekends, and streamed on Skate Canada’s Dailymotion channel.

The following number of skaters will qualify for the National Championships in both senior and junior levels: 12 men/ladies, 10 ice dance teams, 8 pairs teams.

Website, entries & results | Schedule

Type: Domestic competition When: Pre-recorded; streamed Jan. 8-10, 15-17 Level & disciplines: senior & junior ladies, men, pairs, dance

Entries/SP starting orders: Sr Dance, Sr Men, Sr Pairs, Sr Ladies (junior entries available at the web page)

SCHEDULE / HOW TO WATCH

Skate Canada will stream the competition on their Dailymotion channel. The stream will be available worldwide. Subscribe to our calendar for the schedule in your time zone. Schedule in Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5):

Part 1: (Streams: English, French) (Replays)

Jan 8: Jr Pairs’ SP 12:00PM; Sr Pairs’ SP 1:35PM; Jr Ladies’ SP 3:15PM

Jan 9: Jr Pairs’ FS 12:00PM; Sr Pairs’ FS 1:45PM; Jr Men’s SP 3:50PM

Jan 10: Jr Ladies’ FS 11:30AM; Jr Men’s FS 6:00PM

Part 2:

Jan 15: Sr Men’s SP 12:00PM; Sr Ladies’ SP 4:00PM

Jan 16: Jr Rhythm Dance 11:30AM; Sr Rhythm Dance 2:30PM; Sr Ladies’ FS 4:15PM

Jan 17: Sr Men’s FS 12:00PM; Jr Free Dance 4:45PM; Sr Free Dance 7:55PM

#figure skating #skate canada challenge #skate canada challenge 2021 #national comps #2021 nationals #events #season: 2020 2021 #how to watch

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evgeniamedvedeva4u · 5 years

Video

youtube

Evgenia Medvedeva - Exogenesis: Symphony (Part III)

Short Program, Autumn Classic International 2019

September 12th, 2019

#videos #short program 2019-2020 #aci 2019 #autumn classic international 2019 #evgenia medvedeva #figure skating #isu challenger series #season 2019-2020 #skate canada

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burkymakar · 2 years

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Hi ma queen would you be able to post at least some of the Byram article from today plz 🥺🥺🥺🥺

i live to pirate the athletic to you all (source)

trigger warning: talks extensively about depression, medical issues within the NHL, and concussions at length.

Bowen Byram was sick of it. Sick of thinking he was better, only for symptoms to return. Sick of not being able to put everything into his offseason training. Sick of not feeling like himself.

The Avalanche defenseman called his mom one day this summer when the load got too heavy. He had felt totally out of it skating that morning. Months of frustration — of setbacks and symptoms and not knowing what was wrong — had built up. When Stacey Byram answered, he confessed a growing worry: that his career was slipping away.

“What am I going to do now?” he remembers asking. “I can’t play hockey anymore.”

Sitting in his Toyota Tacoma in Vancouver, where he trains during the offseason, he was a worn-down 20-year-old, struggling and scared. He’d never suffered a serious injury before the 2020-21 season, but in his first full year as an NHL player, he’s dealt with multiple concussions, vertigo and COVID-19, all of which have limited him to only 30 games.

At times over the summer, Byram didn’t know what symptoms were caused by what. His medical situation was perplexing, and the recovery process hasn’t been fun. The family thought at various times they were done with it, and then something else would go wrong.

Now, after it finally looked like he weathered the worst of his problems, an errant elbow has thrown him back on the roller coaster once again.

Byram, who often sports a youthful grin, is confident and chatty when he feels like himself. He’s a jokester, someone who occasionally talked too much while growing up in Cranbrook, British Columbia, but was constantly kind, looking for ways to include classmates and teammates, his mom says. When New Jersey defenseman Ty Smith met Byram four years ago on Canada’s U18 team, he couldn’t believe how outgoing his new teammate was, and Avalanche forward Tyson Jost calls Byram bubbly, a “salt of the earth guy” who brings good banter to the dressing room.

“He’s a social being,” Stacey says. “He’s touchy and interactive and wants to look in your eyes.”

So the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for Byram. He didn’t appear in any games for the Avalanche in the 2020 playoffs but skated with the team in the Edmonton bubble, spending more than a month within the strict parameters there. Then, at Team Canada’s training camp ahead of World Junior Championships, he had to quarantine for 14 days in his hotel room after two teammates tested positive for the virus. He ultimately captained Canada to a silver medal and, in January 2021, arrived in Denver to join the Avalanche and take the first step in a lifelong dream: playing NHL games.

But the 2020-21 season was far from normal. Colorado instructed players to remain cautious of the virus, so there weren’t the normal get-togethers or team outings. His parents weren’t in the stands for his NHL debut; they watched from their couch in Cranbrook.

Byram, the people lover, spent his free time by himself, all while adjusting to being a young defenseman in the world’s hardest league.

“Of course, he was ecstatic being down there,” Stacey says. “(But) I could tell he was really lonely.”

Then came the concussions. Byram doesn’t know what caused the first one, which he sustained in a late-February game against Arizona. He just woke up the next morning not feeling right.

When the team diagnosed Byram with a concussion, Stacey decided she needed to be there. She drove 17 hours to Denver from Cranbrook, presenting a note from the team at the U.S.-Canada border saying she was coming to help her son.

Byram recovered fine from the first concussion, returning to the lineup 19 days later. But then, with the Avalanche hosting Vegas in late March, he found himself chasing a puck toward the side boards. As he flung the puck out of the defensive zone, Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar flew toward him, leaving his feet and making contact with Byram’s head. The defenseman grabbed his helmet before skating off the ice and heading to the dressing room.

With fans not yet allowed in Ball Arena due to COVID-19 regulations, Stacey watched on TV from her son’s apartment. She texted her husband, Shawn, after the play. They worried and waited, but the fear dissipated when Byram eventually returned to the game.

That relief faded as soon he got home.

“I could tell the minute he walked in it wasn’t good,” she says.

Byram was upfront with her, saying he didn’t feel well but would go to bed and see how he was doing in the morning. When he woke up, there was no improvement. He felt foggy. Not like himself.

That hit began a yo-yo of progress and setbacks. Concussion recovery isn’t linear, so at points Byram would feel better, only to hit another rut. He started dealing with vertigo, too.

“I’d be so dizzy, I’d be over the toilet almost throwing up,” he says.

During times he felt up for it, Byram and Stacey would go for walks. They’d play cards or go for a drive, one time making a trip to Red Rocks to take in the sandstone formations.

On other days, Byram couldn’t do much.

“I just wasn’t really up for it most of the time just because I was feeling not like myself,” he says.

The Avalanche set him up with a sports psychologist, and that helped. He also took to meditating, using the Calm app on his iPhone almost daily, which allowed him to play guided audio tailored to specific situations, be it for when he was relaxing or getting to sleep.

“(It) helps you lift that weight you’re feeling off your shoulders at times,” Byram says. “I just felt like nothing was going my way. … It was kind of an escape.”

Ten days after the Kolesar hit, as Byram started feeling better, he joined the team on a four-game road trip, and Stacey headed back home to British Columbia. But as he neared a return to game action, he dealt with a setback of a different kind: He tested positive for COVID-19 while the team was in Anaheim.

Byram took a car service back to Denver, sequestered in a taped-off backseat for 16 hours. He felt a little sick for a few days after his positive test, but it wasn’t too bad. After going through protocol, he worked out a few times and — finally — got back on the ice.

That didn’t go as planned.

“After I skated, I felt like I was a corpse,” he says. “I was dizzy, couldn’t see. It was crazy. It was like somebody was pounding on my head. It was tough, and everything snowballed on top of it.”

His vertigo episodes became more frequent after he got COVID-19, and he didn’t always know what was causing his symptoms. It was, as he put it, an undocumented area. One doctor told him that COVID-19 picks on weaker parts of the body.

“And Bowen’s weak part at that time was his brain,” his dad says. “We think it put him back a long way.”

“If you have a head injury, then you get an illness that affects the neural system, you have all these side effects that nobody’s really studied yet,” says trainer Jordan Mackenzie, who worked with Byram over the summer.

With Byram’s mom back in British Columbia, his girlfriend, Kailey, visited from Nova Scotia, where she’s in college. He was frustrated with his situation and, like his mom had, his girlfriend provided moral support. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon also helped out, paying for Byram to work with his personal trainer, Marcin Goszczynski.

Goszczynski did functional neurology exercises with Byram, and the defenseman had an upswing ahead of the playoffs. The medical staff cleared him to play, but, while he skated with the team throughout the postseason, coach Jared Bednar didn’t put him in the lineup. The coach hadn’t been blown away with the games he’d seen Byram play earlier in the season, and he was hesitant to throw such a young player into a physical second-round playoff series against a strong Vegas team.

“Would’ve loved to have him back a few weeks before the season ended, be able to experiment with him a little bit, see how he played, and then he could’ve been a good option for us,” Bednar says. “But he just wasn’t healthy.”

When the Avalanche lost Game 6, Byram watched his first NHL season end from the press box. He had pushed to get back in the lineup, but in retrospect, he believes it’s good he didn’t get into game action, because his situation took a turn south when summer training began.

“I just went downhill again and kind of fell apart,” he says.

Byram arrived in Vancouver in mid-June, motivated for an offseason training with NHLers Brendan Gallagher, Milan Lucic and Ty Smith, only to feel the lingering effects of his injury return. Mackenzie, who has worked with Byram since 2018, noticed his recovery times were slower during workouts. He had less energy.

Mackenzie knows Byram as a loud guy, happy to talk with anyone and joke around with serious veterans like Lucic. But that aspect of his personality was lacking at the start of the summer. He normally loves skating and working out in the gym, but he physically couldn’t put all his effort into it. That sucked out the enjoyment.

“I’ve just totally been invested since I can remember,” Byram says. “I’ve always said I’m going to be a hockey player. That was the scary thing for me: not totally knowing what the future was going to hold.”

He didn’t necessarily feel terrible; just off. And the buildup of not feeling like himself led him to the call with his mom. Stacey’s heart stopped when she heard how dejected he was.

“It was probably a bit over-reactive from myself, but when you’re in positions like that and not feeling good, it really is hard to keep a positive mindset,” Byram says.

Mentally and physically exhausted, he needed to vent, he remembers, and Stacey mostly just listened. She also gave him some perspective: Just because he was injured then didn’t mean he’d always be injured.

Mackenzie and Byram’s goal for the summer was to get “Bo back to being Bo,” the trainer says. That meant pouring time into treatment. The clinic he trained at in Vancouver had a massage therapist who worked on the soft tissue around his neck, and he saw a specialist with experience in post-concussion management. He tried to check every box, hoping for a breakthrough.

That also meant seeing a therapist in Vancouver. Byram says he wasn’t depressed, but he felt on edge after months of frustration. He needed someone to help him take a step back.

“You don’t want to admit something is wrong, but when something is wrong, it needs to be taken care of,” he says. “I’m not afraid to tell anyone I saw a therapist now. I’m proud. I think everybody should. It helped me so much and it helped rejuvenate me as a person and eventually on the ice again.”

He saw improvements and, at the end of July, went on a 10-day wilderness trip in the Yukon with his dad. They camped near Kusawa Lake, completely isolated and unplugged from the outside world. To get there, they had to drive more than 24 hours north and then, since drivable roads extend only so far, take a small plane into the bush.

“There’s a lot of hardship and physical exertion and pain that goes with it,” Shawn says. “You’ve got to be motivated by something you can’t always explain.”

Byram felt symptoms on a couple of days during the trip, his dad says, but he mostly just valued the grounding presence of nature. It was hard work — they hiked more than a dozen miles some days — but good for staying in the moment. On their last evening, with a plane set to come the next morning, father and son built a fire. Byram kicked off his shoes and sat against a rock, his toes near the warmth of the flames. There was a sense of exhaustion between them, and accomplishment, too.

“That (trip) kind of gave him — and I think his nervous system — a chance to really settle down and take in all the work that had been done over the past three or four weeks before he left,” Mackenzie says.

When Byram returned to Vancouver after the trip, Mackenzie saw a shift. He radiated enthusiasm walking through the door. “Let’s go!” the trainer thought to himself.

Bo was back to being Bo.

Earlier this month, Byram glided toward the Columbus net on a two-on-one, sandy hair poking out of the back of his helmet. He waited calmly for a pass from teammate Nazem Kadri and, when it came, flicked the puck into the net. Not all defensemen have this type of offensive skill, especially at 20 years old, and Byram wasn’t done. With less than a minute left in the game and the Avalanche trailing by a goal, he flung a shot on net and watched as it zipped in for a goal. He turned, full of adrenaline, and pumped his fist.

In that moment, it felt like a statement game, like Byram had arrived as a truly dangerous NHL player — maybe even a star. He showed all the tools that led Colorado to draft him fourth overall in 2019, as well as confidence he believes he lacked during his 19-game stint last season.

“Every time I step on the ice and I feel good, it’s such a breath of fresh air, because, seriously, for a while there, I was like, ‘I’m done,’” he said at the time, noting that most of his lingering injury concern had dissipated.

A thought struck Stacey after she watched her son force overtime with the Blue Jackets. She felt like — after everything — the family had finally made it through. Sure, there had been scares since his return, notably when Byram took a dangerous cross-check into the boards against Minnesota, but her son had continually been fine. He told his mom about how good he was feeling: better than he’d felt since before his days as a major junior player in the Western Hockey League.

Then came the elbow.

With the Avalanche hosting the Canucks on Thursday, Byram skated toward Vancouver captain Bo Horvat, ready to fight for a puck along the boards. As the two collided, Horvat’s elbow hit Byram’s face and the defenseman fell to the ice. He got up quickly but skated gingerly to the bench and went down to the dressing room.

An all-too familiar problem was back.

“It’s scary stuff,” teammate and close friend Alex Newhook says.

Byram felt great the morning after absorbing Horvat’s elbow, and he skated with the team, laughing between drills like normal. But concussions are cruel and unpredictable. The next day, this past Saturday, he woke up feeling not well. By Monday, the team had put him back in concussion protocol.

“That’s not something you ever want to see,” teammate Andre Burakovsky says.

Bednar doesn’t have a return timeline, and how could he? He said this week that Byram is out until he feels better. Then, once again, he can begin the process of easing himself back into action.

Given the injury and Byram’s history, it’s unclear when that will come.

#long post #bowen byram #cw concussions

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myjunkisyuzuruhanyu · 2 years

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Hey, I know every city is different but from your experience going to fs competitions, how much would you say tickets are? Like on average? (Doesn’t matter the currency). Hope you’re doing ok :)

Hey, yes I am doing fine. Thanks for asking!

I think there is no average as it depends on what kind of competition you want to visit and in what country it takes place.

I visited competitions in Europe only so far, so I can only talk about what I experienced there, my only time abroad would have been Worlds 2020, but we all know that didn't happen *still cries*

The prize range usually gets higher with the importance of the competition. So B competitions are the cheapest, Challengers cost a bit more, then GPs, Europeans and 4CC are usually something between GP prices and Worlds prices and GPF and Worlds are very expensive.

I think going to live competitions is a really fun experience but it depends a lot on what you can afford. I am in a priviliged position I think to afford a lot of competitions. You also should not forget the travel expenses and accommodation on top of the ticket prize. (For example though ticket prizes for the Nebelhorn Trophy are not as high and it's even in my country, the accommodations in the town are very expensive. And I cannot recommend to stay outside town as you would need an own car, I experienced this already and had to pay a lot for taxis.)

This is going to be a detailed explanation on things I did pay or know about, so if you're not interested, pls skip!

For B competitions like the Challenge Cup or Coupe du Printemps in Luxembourg you will pay like 15-20€ for the full competition.

For Challengers it varies from the countries. Warsaw Cup was even free to enter. Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo is about 200€ for the full competition, it costed even more when Shoma participated. The Nebelhorn Trophy usually has prices of 20€ per day and 25€ for the gala. In general you can say a Challenger would cost you between 100 and 200€, it's also what I have seen for prices for Finlandia Trophy and Autumn Classics in Canada.

The GPs also depend on the location. Internationaux de France has tickets for Friday usually at 15€, but for Saturday you would pay around 60€ and 50€ for the gala on Sunday. The GP in Italy 2021 was extremely overprized and the tickets varied from 40€ to over 100€ for a day. (I took the cheapest ones, the arena wasn't even full and no one sat on their original seat). The GP in Helsiki a few years ago was also very expensive with 350€ for the whole competition. The GP in Russia was comparable cheap to the ones in West Europe, but this ofc is a Western European perspective with the exchange rate. (And I would be very surprised if Russia would host a GP in the future soon.)

For the European Championship in Graz in 2020 we paid 450€ for the full competition. Europeans and 4CC this year were a lot cheaper with approximately 180€ for the full competition.

The most expensive things are the World Championship and the GPF. imo the GPF is even more overprized because you see only 6 skaters per discipline and the juniors too, but still the prize is almost as high as for the World Championship at least that's how it was for the GPF 2019 and as Italy is hosting the GPF 2022 I don't expect it to be less cheaper. For Worlds this year the prize range for full event was between 660€ and 1200€. For the GPF you also could spend up to 1000€ and dare I say the Torino Olympic arena isn't even a good one.

Pls don't ask me how much money I spend on figure skating competitions in the last 5 years. It was a lot.

#replies #figure skating #ticket prizes #sorry for the long reply

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figureskatingcostumes · 1 year

Photo

Molly Lanaghan and Dmitre Razgulajevs competing in the free dance at the 2020 Skate Canada Challenge and 2020 Canadian Championships.

(Sources: Skate Canada and Danielle Earl Photography)

#Molly Lanaghan #Dmitre Razgulajevs #Lanaghan Razgulajevs #Ice dance #Figure skating #Canada #2019–2020 #2020 Canadian Nationals #2020 Skate Canada Challenge

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anewbeginningagain · 2 years

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Do you think Davis/Smolkin will be the new P/C and have a huge rise internationally?

Yes, I think it's likely to happen, it already started this season and I think we'll see growing scores from them at Euros and Worlds and that they'll likely start medaling at their GP events next season.

If we look at the numbers, P/C's rise intdrlf was beyond insane, and one that it's impossible to believe was all natural. Between Worlds 2014 and Worlds 2015 this was their trajectory:

Their PCS increased 9.33 points in the SD and 15.4 points in the FD in one year. In fact, between Worlds and their first GP event they miraculously saw 3.03 points increase in SD PCS and 8.55 (!!!) points increase in FD PCS. Between the first GP event of their 2014/15 season and Worlds their PCS increased 6.3 points in the SD and 6.85 points in the FD. As far as I know, that's basically unheard of, I can't think of a single team who had that kind of rise in one season, let alone between the start and the end of the same season.

In comparison, between skate Canada 2008 and Worlds 2008, Tessa and Scott's PCS increased 2.03 points in the SD and 4.27 points in the FD (and they didn't have a miraculous increase in-between seasons).

With nepotism #2 the comparison is more challenging since they went from Junior Worlds in 2020 to senior US Classics 2021 with over a year and a half gap, and because seniors do one less element in the FD if I remember correctly (one less lift right?):

What's most apparent to me is that now there's no longer need to skyrocket a team using PCS since GOEs are doing the same thing but without raising as many eyebrows. Their PCS did rise (no where near the rise of P/C) and will for sure continue to rise (I'll be sure to update this table with more results up until the season will end), but it's their GOEs that are showing 6-9 points increase so far. So yeah, I fully expect their rise will continue and for them to fight for podium places next season (if not this one).

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gogogogolev · 7 months

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Stephen will be competing at 2023 Skate America International in Allen, Texas this week. The men's SP starts 7:53 PM CDT on Friday, October 20, and the men's FS starts 8:04 PM CDT on Saturday, October 21.

Stephen's first Grand Prix invite was actually to Skate America in 2020. Some of you may recall how sad and anxious we were when he had to withdraw, and he ended up missing that entire season. In his interview after winning 2022 Challenge he refused to discuss what his injuries were, only mentioning his frustration at having to withdraw in the Olympics site feature article. Thankfully he was able to heal and return to make his GP debut in front of a home crowd in 2022. Three years on he's finally getting to do this event. Let's get it done Stephen.

Also a request to anyone with access to Peacock: if you're able to share videos from the practices on October 19-21 that would be greatly appreciated. I would take care of this if I could. As a Canadian I cannot access that footage at all.

I wanted to make a correction about my misunderstanding about his free skate music. He is not actually skating to the soundtrack for the movie Time Lapse, his program is called Time Lapse as there are two different pieces of music he is skating to entitled that (one of them is also being used by Shoma Uno). The full break down of the music is: Cernunnos by Christian Reindl & Lucie Paradis Existir by Adrián Berenguer Timelapse by Mari Samuelsen, Trondheim Soloists, Jesper Söderqvist & Gunnar Flagstad Time Lapse by Michael Nyman

Links Announcement Schedule Website ISU web page ISU results Detailed results Livestreams SP: CBC, Radio-Canada, ISU

This post will be updated later.

Good luck Stephen!

#stephen gogolev #2023 Skate America #2023 2024 season #information

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sunskate · 2 years

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Would you be able to give me a rundown on Scott’s teams? Just what you think of them and what growth you’ve seen? I know it’s only his second season coaching but it’s also my first watching! Trying to understand what my feelings should be about for ex the JGP skaters coming in 6/7 and S/W coming in 5 at Lake Placid etc. Thank you!!!

I would say trust your own reactions ☺️ if you enjoy a team, their placement doesn't matter. I really like Dozzi/Papetti -their tango program is😘 I don't know if I can be much help, but I had fun thinking about your question- this ended up being more than you might want to know lol -

His two top teams are CPom and Sales/Wamsteeker- they both were up and coming a few seasons back and then stalled a little bit and switched to Scott.

Carreira/Ponomarenko won🥈at 2018 Junior Worlds, and in their first 2 senior seasons 2018-20, they medaled at 6 Challengers and won🥉at a Grand Prix so there was a feeling that they were a team to watch.

They were getting results and were 4th at US Nationals. But in 2019-20, their then-coach Igor Shpilband had them skate Farrucas for their FD, and it exposed areas that weren't strengths - they're not the most fiery team, so it was a risk to skate a flamenco (esp the one associated with VM). Christina wasn't holding herself in lifts and there was more mention that Anthony was the stronger partner. Then the lockdown season 2020-21, their FD didn't feel like anything new, and they had the bad luck to have to withdraw from Nationals because of a close covid contact. CPom, especially Christina, are big VMies, and around that time they decided to switch camps and go to Scott.

Christina grew a lot their first season at IAM.O. She was noticeably stronger and projected her performances more. Best of all was that she looked more confident, like there was an internal shift. Anthony was dealing with injury, and that understandably held them back, especially in lifts, but it was kept quiet til the end of the season, so while some of their struggles got chalked up to growing pains from switching camps, some commentators blamed Scott.

Meanwhile, Green/Parsons had a stellar season and overtook CPom for the #4 spot in the US, and now some younger US teams including the Junior World Champs Oona and Gage Brown have seniored up, so this season, CPom will want to come roaring back.

They're probably aiming for the #3 US spot, but they were 7th at Nationals this past January, so top 5 would be progress and top 3 would be really exciting. Fingers crossed that they have great programs this year!

Then Scott's top Canadian team are Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker- they've been around long enough that they competed against VM. They were #4 in Canada 2018-2020 but had other🇨🇦 teams going ahead of them (Lajoie/Lagha, and Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen switching to🇨🇦) and needed a change.

These two have a good connection and are expressive - I used to think they had a quiet personality as a team, but I think it's that more power would give them the oomph to be impactful. Their speed has improved since they've been with Scott (compare their 2020 Samson & Delilah FD to this season's Phantom FD), but it's still not a strength. I wish they skated with more extension - with their long limbs and good unison, they have nice lines and look so good when they do extend their free legs. They came to Scott already with good lifts, especially the stationary and rotational. Their straight line lift is striking (Wang/Liu is another team with a tall male partner who does a similar lift). Their spin has improved and is faster.

Gilles/Poirier, Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen, Lajoie/Lagha are the top 3 🇨🇦 teams. S/W are among 6 other senior teams who have international assignments from Skate Canada and are competing for the ranks below them. S/W so far have been placing behind Lauriault/LeGac and Soucisse/Firus so they're probably #6 in 🇨🇦 and need to skate lights out at their Grand Prix and keep improving in general to be considered stronger contenders.

#cpom #sales wamsteeker #i'll do the others in another part

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oeldeservesthenorris · 2 years

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Dizzy, foggy and feeling ‘like I was a corpse’: Inside Bowen Byram’s harrowing first year with the Avalanche

Bowen Byram was sick of it. Sick of thinking he was better, only for symptoms to return. Sick of not being able to put everything into his offseason training. Sick of not feeling like himself.

“What am I going to do now?” he remembers asking. “I can’t play hockey anymore.”

Now, after it finally looked like he weathered the worst of his problems, an errant elbow has thrown him back on the roller coaster once again.

“He’s a social being,” Stacey says. “He’s touchy and interactive and wants to look in your eyes.”

Byram, the people lover, spent his free time by himself, all while adjusting to being a young defenseman in the world’s hardest league.

“Of course, he was ecstatic being down there,” Stacey says. “(But) I could tell he was really lonely.”

Then came the concussions. Byram doesn’t know what caused the first one, which he sustained in a late-February game against Arizona. He just woke up the next morning not feeling right.

That relief faded as soon he got home.

“I could tell the minute he walked in it wasn’t good,” she says.

Byram was upfront with her, saying he didn’t feel well but would go to bed and see how he was doing in the morning. When he woke up, there was no improvement. He felt foggy. Not like himself.

That hit began a yo-yo of progress and setbacks. Concussion recovery isn’t linear, so at points Byram would feel better, only to hit another rut. He started dealing with vertigo, too.

“I’d be so dizzy, I’d be over the toilet almost throwing up,” he says.

During times he felt up for it, Byram and Stacey would go for walks. They’d play cards or go for a drive, one time making a trip to Red Rocks to take in the sandstone formations.

On other days, Byram couldn’t do much.

“I just wasn’t really up for it most of the time just because I was feeling not like myself,” he says.

“(It) helps you lift that weight you’re feeling off your shoulders at times,” Byram says. “I just felt like nothing was going my way. … It was kind of an escape.”

L.A. Kings right wing Adrian Kempe checks Bowen Byram into boards. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

That didn’t go as planned.

“And Bowen’s weak part at that time was his brain,” his dad says. “We think it put him back a long way.”

“I just went downhill again and kind of fell apart,” he says.

He didn’t necessarily feel terrible; just off. And the buildup of not feeling like himself led him to the call with his mom. Stacey’s heart stopped when she heard how dejected he was.

“It was probably a bit over-reactive from myself, but when you’re in positions like that and not feeling good, it really is hard to keep a positive mindset,” Byram says.

That also meant seeing a therapist in Vancouver. Byram says he wasn’t depressed, but he felt on edge after months of frustration. He needed someone to help him take a step back.

“There’s a lot of hardship and physical exertion and pain that goes with it,” Shawn says. “You’ve got to be motivated by something you can’t always explain.”

When Byram returned to Vancouver after the trip, Mackenzie saw a shift. He radiated enthusiasm walking through the door. “Let’s go!” the trainer thought to himself.

Bo was back to being Bo.

Bowen Byram takes in the mountain view while in the Yukon. (Photo by Shawn Byram)

Then came the elbow.

An all-too familiar problem was back.

“It’s scary stuff,” teammate and close friend Alex Newhook says.

“That’s not something you ever want to see,” teammate Andre Burakovsky says.

Bednar doesn’t have a return timeline, and how could he? He said this week that Byram is out until he feels better. Then, once again, he can begin the process of easing himself back into action.

Given the injury and Byram’s history, it’s unclear when that will come.

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos: Kevin Light, Michael Martin,

#bowen byram #colorado avalanche

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virtchandmoir · 3 years

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Tessa Virtue On Her Second Act and Finding Balance In the New Normal

We asked Canada’s Olympic darling and Nivea’s new ambassador how her goals, self-care and beauty routine have transformed in 2020

December 21, 2020

In partnership with Nivea

The last 10 months have been *insert another word for unprecedented* for everyone, even for five-time Olympic medalist Tessa Virtue. In some ways, they’ve been uniquely challenging for someone like Virtue, a 22-year competitive athlete who was just a few months post-retirement when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. No more weeks on end of travel, no more rigorously regimented exercise schedule, no more stage makeup, and a whole big world of opportunity to navigate in this New Normal.

FLARE spoke to the retired skating champion and Nivea’s first Canadian ambassador over Zoom (yes, both parties wore real pants—it was a good day!) about finding joy in lockdown, the ways she has been practicing self-care this year, how her beauty and skincare routine has evolved and how her priorities have shifted since retirement.

You retired from professional skating in fall 2019. What has life been like since then?

“It’s been upside down, but that’s from a more global standpoint. For me personally, the more difficult transition was going from competition to touring. After we wrapped up our Rock the Rink tour last fall, there were so many challenges and goals that I had already set for myself, so it was about navigating the path of, ‘OK, how do I go from being so singularly focused [on skating] to seemingly endless options and ideas and plans?’

“One thing I’ve realized is just how pressure-filled that time was. It was so intense and draining on so many levels that there’s a bit of levity that has been nice to embrace. And having new purposes and goals ahead of me also helps because I’m so task-oriented.”

Tell us about pursuing your MBA—all over Zoom, no less!

“I’m doing my MBA through Smith’s School of Business, associated with Queen’s University. I have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit so I wanted to make sure that I was learning as much as I possibly could about all facets of the business before I truly pick an avenue and take a run at something.

“Also, as a buffer between sport and real life, it’s good to have a goal that is in the not-so-distant future. May 2022 is graduation so it’s this tangible thing that I can work towards, challenge myself in a way that is not so physical, but rather academic.

“There are about 90 students in the class and they’re such formidable, exceptional humans that have accomplished such amazing things in their own realms. I have to admit, I’m much more nervous participating in our school sessions with 90 people than I was ever performing or competing, probably even at the Olympics (laughs)!”

What’s something that has been bringing you joy in these recent months?

“What has been really special is seeing those smaller, random acts of kindness that people have been showing, whether that’s on social media or just in the neighbourhood. When I was home in London for a time, the sense of community was so strong, whether it was checking in on each other, enjoying a driveway chat, or helping with grocery runs. There have been those who have stepped up and showcased their thoughtfulness and generosity, and that is so beautiful to witness during this tumultuous time.”

What has been something that has been challenging for you in the recent months, especially as Toronto settles into its second lockdown?

“The hardest thing is missing that human touch with the people you’re close to. Oddly enough, I always considered myself as not an affectionate person (laughs) and I’m really missing that now. I have two nieces and one is around 9 months old and I get these photos or videos and see her chunky little arms, and I just want to hold her so badly. I saw my other niece at a great distance in a field one day and it was so hard not to hug her. I feel that kind of sadness and loneliness.”

How have you been practicing self-care during this time?

“This time has made me realize that in ‘busy culture,’ people were deemed successful or living a full life if they were busy, and that was sort of my party line for a long time: People would say ‘How are you doing?’ and I would say ‘Oh, I’m so busy.’ And I really was. I was home maybe one day a month and I was always on the go. But this time has made me stop and reflect and really just sit in my emotions, sit with my feelings. And that has led to prioritizing self-care because I know now that I need those moments. I need the quiet time alone to journal or to reflect on my thoughts.

“In terms of working out, I’ve kind of done a full circle where I really had great departure from it for a bit because I didn’t want to feel like an athlete. And now I feel like, ‘Wow, I’m so grateful to be able to move my body and it feels good.’ That hit of endorphins is healthy. So I’m finding little moments like that throughout the day to treat myself.”

What have you been doing in lockdown when it comes to beauty?

“The nice thing is that I’ve been doing absolutely nothing! (Laughs) Letting my hair air dry, no makeup really, and it’s been so refreshing. The Nivea Micellar is a great cleanser that lets my skin be free and breathe. [I’ll use that] and Nivea moisturizer, and that’s been it.

“It’s been great, especially coming off of tours and competitions where the makeup is so heavy and there’s always a hot iron on my hair. I feel like my priorities have shifted and really, that doesn’t seem important at all anymore.”

Do you feel that your beauty routine has changed in recent months?

“Because I’m not all that patient, I’m pretty low maintenance in general. But in terms of self-care, it’s been about making it more of a purposeful choice and a treat to dry brush and then moisturize, for example, or exfoliate and then use Nivea Care Cream. I do it more purposefully and it feels nice to be intentional about it.”

Is there anything you’re going to be changing about your skincare regimen now that it’s getting colder?

“Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! My skin is so sensitive and I’m used to being in a freezing cold, dry rink all the time so moisturizer has always been the key, especially with all that sanitizer now. I have moisturizer in my pockets, in my purse, in my car, every little place.”

What is keeping you feeling good in your own skin?

“There are a couple things. Moving. Working out. Sometimes it’s just stretching or doing a bit of yoga, whatever it is, just moving my body has been really good. And then also positive messages. It sounds crazy but just accepting whatever state my body is in today, in this moment, just acknowledging it and thanking it. [Thinking], ‘I’m grateful and this is what I’m working with and it’s good enough.’

Especially because we’re in this global health crisis, I think it forces you to be more grateful for what you have.

“I did an event with the singer Jully Black recently and she mentioned something about how important breath is right now and how grateful we can be for it when you think about people who are on ventilators. There’s so much to appreciate just with a simple inhale and exhale. I thought that perspective was really powerful, too.

“There are so many stories around right now that make you think, ‘Gosh, the stresses that seem huge in my relative bubble are not really that important.’ That perspective is key, I think.”

What are some of the most pleasant surprises that you’ve had this year?

“I thought I would be really restless if I wasn’t travelling so much, because that’s what I had grown accustomed to, and I was so surprised by how grounded and comforted I felt at the notion of not even seeing a suitcase for a while. That’s been really, really nice.

“And then, because those times are so fleeting when we do get to connect with family and friends, that joy is magnified. That is so special. Every little tiny moment or phone call seems like a more monumental event and I really try and savour all of those moments.”

—Flare

#tessa #off ice #ambassadorship #nivea #interview: flare #hugs

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striveattemptfail · 4 years

Text

Football Vs. Husband: Which Do You Know Better? | Zimbits ft. Tater, G, 1.8k

Summary: Bitty gets quizzed on two of his favourite things: Jack and...... football?

Based on the Buzzfeed video of the same name. Takes place sometime in Sept-Oct 2019. Minor spoilers for 4.25 Faber and 4.26 Check, Please! (If you can call em spoilers LOL.)

Read on Ao3

A/N: Fun fact: At the time I wrote this (2017), it was set in the “future” (2019), but now that year is literally the past for us hahahahahahskfjasldfjasldfjklaskdfj. In the fic summary I say “minor spoilers” because what I originally wrote as wish fulfillment in 2017 became canon in 2020.

Anyway, this is a near verbatim copy of Ned Fulmer getting quizzed on his wife vs football—like fr some of the dialogue is exactly the same LOL. Thanks to @smol0ctopus for the beta and the omg stream! please server for advice!<3 Any other mistakes are mine.

YouTube transcript of Football Vs. Husband (Check, Please! #151: A Falconers Special!) [Descriptive captions by biittyyreciipees, airhockeycanbeviolent, and f4lcsboy: Check, Please! Captioning Team]

Eric Hey, y’all! Didja miss me? Because I sure did miss you! Now, today’s video is a lil special. Y’all’ll see that I’ve got myself some lovely guests here from Providence’s own Falconers team. (gestures towards Jack and Tater) Say hi guys!

Tater (waves) Hi!

Jack (single nod, smiles) Hello.

Eric I’ve got here regular guest and my husband, Jack Zimermann, and his teammate, Alexei Mashkov—

Tater But you call me Tater!

Eric (laughs) But we call him Tater! Tater, why don’t you explain what’ll happen here today?

Tater Is collaboration with Falcs TV! We had special tournament to see if players knows their SOAPs more than favorite thing.

ONSCREEN CAPTION SOAPs = Significant Others And Partners, for all y’all non-hockey fans out there! Click here (highlighted annotation inserted) to watch the tournament on the Falconer’s official website or check this video’s description!

Eric I had me such a great time over on Falcs TV with Jack that I wanted to share the fun with y’all here!

Tater (nods) Zimmboni crush everyone in tournament!

ONSCREEN CAPTION “Zimmboni” is Jack’s hockey nickname, like “Tater” is for Alexei. Everyone on the team has one! In fact, I have one too: Bitty! But Alexei likes to call me “B”.

Jack (shrugs, gives small smile) I know history. I know my husband.

Eric (laughs, blushes)

Tater Now, is time to see if B know Zimmboni just as much!

Eric I’m feelin’ pretty confident that I do. What do you think, sweetpea?

Jack I think Bits knows me better than myself, to be honest.

Eric Jack! (blushing again)

Tater Yes, yes, is very cute! But I’m want to ask questions now, yes?

Eric (turns to camera) Now, I tried to get ‘em to quiz me on baking—because y’all and your mama know that I love it—but Jack here insisted that I get asked about football instead.

Jack Baking’s too easy. I figured you’d appreciate the challenge. You know a lot about American football, eh?

Eric (rolls eyes) “American football”—I know y’all in Canada just call it football too! Now, I’d argue, but that’ll take up the rest of this video, so I guess it’s time to get to the quiz!

Tater Yes!

(video transition with dramatic music)

Tater (holds up stack of cards in hands) Here, I’m hold questions about NFL and college football, plus questions about Zimmboni for B to answer. Like during Falcs’ tournament, I’m ask SOAP about their favorite subject first, then ask about their partner. B, is ready?

Eric As I’ll ever be!

Jack Gonna crush it, Bits.

Eric Let’s hope so, sweetheart.

Tater Will be good, B, I’m sure! Question one, name five offensive positions in the NFL.

Eric Lord, how easy—quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive tackle, tight end.

ONSCREEN CAPTION Score: 5/5

Tater See, B! You be fine! Name five of Zimmboni’s favourite foods.

Eric Ooh, alright. So PB&J sandwiches, chicken tenders... scrambled eggs, uh, cassoulet... (Caption Note: French food pronunciation is not butchered, because food)

ONSCREEN CAPTION Score: 4/5

Tater One more, B.

Eric Hm, let’s see—

Tater (snickers) Remember this easiest question in stack.

Eric Oh, hush, you.

Jack Bits? Maybe a dessert?

Eric (hits head with base of palm) Oh, goodness me, right! Maple sugar crusted apple pie.

ONSCREEN CAPTION Score: 5/5

Tater (nods) Yes. Okay, how many minutes in football quarter?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: Quarters in the NFL and NCAA football are 15 minutes.

Eric 15 minutes.

Tater How long is Zimmboni’s pre-game ritual?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 15 minutes max. Like all athletes, hockey players have specific rituals before their games.

Eric About thirty minutes?

Tater (whooping laughter) 15 minutes, max.

Jack (laughs)

Eric (gasps, shakes head) That is not true, that can not be true! Honey, I’ve seen you take 15 minutes making your pre-game PBJ sandwiches. (scoffs)

Jack (makes a face)

Tater Sorry, B. Must give big zero for that question.

Eric (rolls eyes) Hmph!

Tater B, you get 20 seconds—name as many starting quarterbacks in the NFL as possible. Ready, set, go!

Eric Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady—ugh—Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Carson Palmer.

ONSCREEN CAPTION Score: 8

Tater Have 10 seconds, name as many as Zimmboni’s lineys when he finally move to first line.

ONSCREEN CAPTION Lineys = Hockey linemates. Fun fact: Jack moved from third to first line during his first season in the Falcs back in 2015!

Eric (opens mouth)

Tater But! Must name them by nickname!

Eric (single nod, determined expression)

Tater Okay? Ready, set, go!

Eric Alright so excluding Jack, that’ll be you, Tater, then we got Marty, Thirdy, Guy, and Snowy if you count the goalies!

Tater (solemnly nods) Always count goalies!

Eric Then that’s five for five. Gettin’ a lil easy there!

ONSCREEN CAPTION Score: 5/5

Tater Haha! Okay, who are on cover of Sports Illustrated for this season’s NFL and college previews?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. were on the cover for the NFL preview. Trevor Lawrence was on the cover for the college preview.

Eric Oh, Coach and I were just talkin’ about this! I know the NFL preview was Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, but the college preview... (brief pause, placing chin on fist contemplatively) I think it’s Trevor Lawrence?

Tater Correct! What magazine cover did Zimmboni appear on first?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: Trick question! Jack’s first ever appearance on a magazine cover was not as a hockey player. He first appeared on People Magazine as a baby with his parents, Robert “Bad bob” Zimmermann and Alicia Zimmermann.

Eric Can I ask a question?

Tater ...no.

Eric Well, shoot, alright. If you mean his first cover as an athlete, I’ll say Sports Illustrated, but if you mean his first one ever I think it’s People Magazine when he was a baby.

Tater (censored beep) Wow!

Jack (raises eyebrows) You remember that?

Eric Well, you told me! And Alicia did show me when we visited for Christmas one year. (smug smirk)

Jack (covers face in hand, exasperated sigh) Of course she did.

Tater Next question! How many Super Bowl rings does Tom Brady have?

Eric Oh goodness. I think it’s five?

Tater Six!

Eric What?

Tater Is six!

Eric (groans) Of course it’s six. Whatever, it’s fine, I try not to think about Tom Brady anyway. I don’t mind getting this one wrong. In fact, I’m kinda glad because I certainly don’t care for the man. Like, who—

Jack Bits. We’re in the middle of a game right now?

Eric (blushes) Oh, right.

Tater It’s alright, B, haha. But we move on with game now, yes? (single nod) Now, how many rings Zimmboni normally wear?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 1.

Eric One! He usually just wears his wedding ring, but today he’s got his 2016 Stanley ring! Wanna show it off, honey?

Jack (sheepishly holds up hands to show the two rings)

ONSCREEN CAPTION Fun fact: The team who wins the Stanley Cup get matching rings. Jack got his first one when the Falcs won the Cup in 2016!

Tater Is tough one now: How many times have the Atlanta Falcons made the playoffs?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 14.

Eric (sighs) Oh Lordy, that's hard. Alright, so by the time I was born they were at five so— (voice continues in fast forward) —they did in ‘98, then... ‘02? After was 2004, not 2005, or ‘06... so the next one was 2008. Then there was that streak from 2010 to 2012. Then the next one was 2016, and then ‘17. Not ‘18 and ‘19. So that’s... (begins to count on fingers)

Tater (back to regular speed, looking impressed) You have answer, B?

Eric I'm gonna go with fourteen as of this year.

Tater (censored beep)!!!

Eric (laughs)

Jack (censored beep), Bittle.

Tater Is amazing! You have both number and years!

Eric I’m Southern, and my daddy’s a football coach. (shrugs) Can’t help it!

Jack (chuckles) This is why I wanted you to answer stuff about the football instead of baking.

Eric (rolls eyes, swats Jack’s arm) Oh, this boy.

Tater Next question! What is most number of times Zimmboni fight in one season?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 3 fights.

Eric Ooh, shoot. I should know this one too, huh? Okay, so his first season he only got in one fight— (voice continues in fast forward) —and second season was also one, I think. After that, uhh, I think he finally got in two. Last year was three maybe? And this season hasn’t even started. But last year? Was it three? I don’t quite—hm.

Tater (back to regular speed) Your answer, B?

Eric I’m gonna go with three fights for last season.

Tater (shaking his head)

Jack What did I say?

Tater (censored beep) Is correct. (huffs) What year did Falcons join the NFL?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 1965.

Eric Uhhh, oh goodness, I know Coach told me this at some point... (pause) I think it was 1965?

Tater Correct! What year Zimmboni first try skating?

ONSCREEN CAPTION Answer: 1992. Fun fact: Bad Bob had Jack skating as soon as Jack could walk!

Eric Skating, huh? ‘Cause I’ll bet the son of Bad Bob tried on his first skates before he even turned one, huh? (smiles cheekily)

Jack (nudges with elbow, gives Eric a small smile) Not the question.

Eric Oh alright, not the question. Hmm, I know it was before you turned three so, I’ll say... (drawling out answer) nineteen-ninety... two?

Tater (throws cards out of hand, shaking his head) Is correct again!

Eric Oh my god!

(high pitched sound as Eric fist pumps the air)

Jack (laughs, bringing an arm around Eric before kissing his cheek)

Tater B, I'm frustrate to say you know Zimmboni as much as you know football.

ONSCREEN CAPTION FINAL SCORE: Football = 6, Husband = 6. T I E ! ! !

Jack Knew it. Told you so, Bits.

Eric That sounds like a chirp, and I will not have that on my vlog, Mr. Zimmermann. So with that, I guess we’re done! (looks towards camera, claps once) Well, that about does it for today’s video! Thank you so much to my special guests, Providence Falconers’ Jack Zimermann and Alexei Mashkov, for joining me today. (gestures towards Jack and Tater)

Tater (nods with a wide smile) Thanks for having us, B!

Jack (smiles and nods) Always great to be here.

Eric Be sure to check out the Falcs TV videos too! Link in the description or right over here! (points to space, highlighted annotation inserted) And thanks for tuning in! Next week, I’ll have a new video for y’all on the best ways to add protein to your favourite sandwiches.

(Eric, Jack, and Tater wave at the camera)

Eric Bye, y’all! See ya next time!

(More notes on Ao3.)

#omgcp #omgcheckplease #check please #checkpleaselastslice #zimbits #alexei mashkov #tater #eric bittle #jack zimmermann #bitty blast #jercy attempts words #fanfiction #fanfic

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